Once the membership application has been submitted, a short interview will be required with the fire company and the candidate must attend four (4) schedule station events to get an idea of what to expect. A background check and a physical will be required at no charge. Upon receipt of a clean background and being cleared by the district physician, the candidate will be voted in by the Board of Fire Commissioners. The Board generally accepts all qualified applicants who pass the background check and physical.

After applicant is accepted, plans will be discussed on when the member will be enrolled into the NJ State Firefighter 1 class at the selected Fire Academy. The schedule can be varied. It is a big initial commitment and something that is best communicated to the applicant in person. After initial training, the schedule/commitment is to attend weekly drills and training that are generally held weekly on Monday evenings.

No specific education is required, although you will need to be able read and speak English, as well as completion of NJ FireFighter 1 course which is paid for by the District.

There is no one universal answer to the time commitment involved in volunteer firefight. At a minimum, the applicant should expect to spend part of one evening a week in drills/training, and the fire calls are quite varied. Members are not expected to make every call, or attend every meeting, but regular attendance is encouraged. You are, for example, permitted to freely take time off for vacation or other personal reasons. Each fire company has slightly different rules as to what is expected in order to maintain active membership.

The district is taking all precaution and following all state and federal regulations. The district has ordered and stocked large quantities of N95 masks and disinfectant supplies. While the individual fire companies approach this new threat slightly differently, the District generally follows state guidance. In addition, the state qualifies our volunteers as essential first responders, making the vaccine available on a priority basis to those who desire to take it.

Each fire company has its own internal SOGs (Standard Operating Guidelines) that it follows in order to ensure the safety of its membership. The District follows NFPA guidelines in order to ensure that the inherently dangerous activity of firefighting is conducted as safely as possible. The District has a strong track record of safety with minimal injuries and no fatalities.